Stuffed cabbage is a comfort food classic and one of the most delicious things you can make. It requires a little bit of effort to prepare but the results are well worth it. It is a dish that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. This version of stuffed cabbage is Polish in origin and it’s also known as Golabki. The standard way of making it involves separating and blanching cabbage leaves, rolling them around a piquant filling and braising them.
The exact process varies between cooks but most agree that you should start with a full head of fresh cabbage. Remove and discard any tough outer leaves. Then place the entire head of cabbage in a pot of boiling water for anywhere from three to ten minutes. After that, the leaves should be cooled and peeled. Some cooks avoid boiling the whole head of cabbage by plunging individual leaves into a pot of boiling water for about a minute. Others cook the cabbage and its leaves separately, using different methods to soften them.
For the filling, combine ground beef, cooked rice, onion, garlic, salt and pepper. Mix well and set aside. To prepare the sauce, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the tomato and wine and simmer until it starts to thicken, about 10 minutes. It is important not to over-thicken the sauce with cornstarch as it can be difficult to reverse. If necessary, add the cornstarch slurry a little at a time, waiting about a minute between additions. محشي ملفوف